Harness for picking sacks and the like



June 28, 1932. y A, BREWSTER 1,865,353

HARNESS FOR PICKING SACKS AND THE LIKE.

Filed Oct. 9, 1928 amvem Co'a Witnesses 1 CJGZJJQI 6 7 70 13% @MQQ;

Patented June 28, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JACK A. BREWSTER, 0F BEDLANDS, CALIFORNIA HARNESS FOR PICKING SACKS AND THE LIKE Application filed October 9, 1928. Serial No. 311,308.

ment of straps or sack carrying members,

, which can be utilized to transmit a part of the weight of a filled sack to hip or waist portion of the picker.

Fruit pickers who work on ladders or on branches of trees and carry their sacks or bags, with their entire weight suspended from their shoulders often have occasion to lean in any direction to gather such fruit as does not hang within easy reach. When the sack is nearly full, it is difficult and, indeed, hazardous for the picker to lean very far to one side of his footing. Moreover, the entire weight on the pickers shoulders must be borne or carried by his trunk and legs, thus putting a great strain on his back and making his work very tiresome. My invention is intended to enable the picker to shift a part of his load to the hips which remain more or less vertically over his footing while he is leaning, and thereby relieve him of some of topheaviness, thus, reducing the danger of falling, as well as relieving his back.

In the drawing wherein I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, merely for purposes of illustration,

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a picking sack having my improved harness connected thereto, and

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 2-=--2 of Figure 1.

Referring specifically to the drawing, I have shown my improved harness applied to a pickers sack 10, having a stiffening rim 11 to which the open end of the sack is secured. The sack may be of any desired form, since it constitutes no part of the present invention.

In Figure 1 I have shown a pair of bail members 12, pivotally connected to the stiff rim 11 at the opposite sides. Herein, the

bails are each formed of a piece of wire bent to provide ring-like eyes 18 at the ends to make a pivotal connection with the stiff rim 11. At the upper portion of the bails and, centrally thereof, I prefer to form eyes or loops 14 to which a shoulder strap 15 is connected. These bails, being secured to the rim at a plurality of points enable a picker to support the open end of the sack in a horizontal position.

I have shown tension springs 16 interposed 53 between the bails 12 and the inelastic portion of the straps 15, these springs being of such strength as to yield when the sack is, say, about half full for a purpose hereinafter described. Moreover, the length of the straps is adjustable to suit the requirements of the wearer, a leather strap 17 and buckle 18 at one end of the strap 15 (Fig. 1) being one of the convenient ways to accomplish this.

Below the open end of the sack and at the opposite sides of the rear wall thereof, I secure a belt strap 19 adapted to be removably and adjustably fastened around the hip portion of the picker. In Figure 2, I have shown rings 20 secured to reenforced parts of the sack, and snap hooks 21 adapted to be snapped therein.

The operation of my harness is substantially as follows the picker adjusts the shoulder strap, so that the belt strap will come around his body above the hip bones, and then fastens the belt strap to the rings 20. The shoulder strap is'intended to carry practically all of the load until the sack is sutliciently full and heavy to overcome the springs. As the shoulder strap stretches, and the bag sinks or settles down, a large part of the load is shifted to the belt strap. Thus, the straps divide the load, and transfer it to the shoulders and hips of the picker.

The rim is free to settle down under the load and remain in a horizontal position because the belt will not restrain the back side of it. In other words, that portion of the bag between the belt and the rim will wrinkle, 9

allowing ample movement.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that my improved harness is well suited for use by citrus fruit pickers, who have to do their work on ladders, etc, and shift from side to side to gather fruit. Moreover, my harness enables the picker to relieve his back altogether of the load, simply by stooping and shifting the whole load to the belt strap.

Having thus described my invention with the understanding that it is not restricted to the particular embodiment shown and described, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A harness for picking sacks and the like comprising, in combination, a belt secured to the back side of the sack near the upper edge and adapted to engage the hips of the wearer, and an elastic shoulder strap secured to the opposite sides of the sack at the top thereof, whereby to permit a part of the Weight of the sack, when filled, to be shifted from the shoulder to the hips or waist line of the body of the wearer.

2. A harness for picking sacks and the like comprising, in combination, a hip strap Secured to the back side of the sack below and adjacent to the top thereof, and a shoulder strap secured to the rim of the sack, said shoulder strap including an elastic portion for yieldably supporting the sack.

at the open end, a pair of bail-like members 3. A harness for picking sacks and the like comprising, in combination, a hip strap secured to the sides of the sack near the top thereof, and a shoulder strap secured to the rim of the sack, said shoulder strap having a coil spring near each end.

4, In a piokingsack having a rigid frame at the openend to hold it open, a pair of baillike members secured to the frame on opposite sides of the sack, an elastic shoulder strap secured to said bail-like members, and a belt strapsecured to the rear wall of the sack.

5, In a picking sack having a rigid frame secured to the frame on opposite sides of the sack, an elastic shoulder strap secured to said bail-like members, and a belt strap secured to the rear wall of the sack below the frame, said straps being adjustable whereby to distribute theloa V In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I havehereto aifixedmy signature.

" JACK A. BREWSTER. 

